The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $360,000 in projects on the Hiawatha National Forest to reduce wildfire risk and restore healthy forests through the Good Neighbor Authority.
Made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the investments will fund two projects on the forest, both in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a news release says.
The first project will support cross-boundary stream inventory and assessments of roads, trails, railroads, dams, and other types of stream crossings. Work will be conducted within the proclamation boundary and connecting watersheds of the Hiawatha National Forest. Knowing the status and conditions of these crossings allows the partners to make informed decisions on future investments to protect existing infrastructure and water quality in a pro-active, rather than reactive, manner. Information collected will also be used to identify and prioritize future work to improve stream crossing structures.
The second project will complete landline support to improve land ownership boundary monumentation on all three Michigan national forests (Hiawatha, Huron-Manistee, Ottawa). Clearly visible boundaries are a crucial part of any project that may be near or adjacent to property lines. This project will establish boundaries for acres to be treated in upcoming restoration treatments. Landlines also serve adjacent landowners and the public as they recreate by preventing unintentional trespass or encroachment.
“Knowing the exact boundaries that we share with our neighbors -- whether State of Michigan land, privately owned timber land, or other privately owned parcels -- is an important step in the land management process. It allows us to effectively manage the land of the Hiawatha National Forest without impinging on other property,” said Travis Coughlin, Timber Program Manager.
Working with states through collaboratives and Good Neighbor Authority agreements strengthens partnerships, enhances shared stewardship, and prioritizes and advances work to improve forests conditions and protect communities based on state and federal management plans.
“We were able to use this funding to build on the important partnership work that we were already accomplishing with our neighbors at the Michigan DNR. Establishing land lines is a great fit for the Good Neighbor Authority; it reminds me of a line form a Robert Frost poem, ‘Good fences (or established land lines in this case) make good neighbors,’" said Coughlin.
Established by Congress in 2014, the Good Neighbor Authority provides the Forest Service a simple and straightforward way to enter into management agreements with states, tribes, and counties. Today, the Good Neighbor Authority is essential in pooling federal, state, Tribal, and county resources to complete more forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration work on national forests and grasslands.
